Clothes-hook.



PATENTED APR! 14, 1903.

J. M. MERRILL.

CLOTHES HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED my 14, 1902.

no MODEL UNITED JOSEPH MOULTON MERRILL, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

oLoTHEs- Hook,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,111, dated April 14, 1903.

Application file/{May 14,1902. Serial No. 107,290. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MOULTON MER- RILL, a citizen of the United States, residing hooks.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved, simple, durable, and inexpensive clothes-hook, formed with a spring clasp or catch designed to grip and hold an article of apparel placed on the hook, and thereby prevent the same from slipping or falling from the hook, even though the article has no hanging or suspending strap.

Another object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in arrangements and formations of parts whereby an exceed ingly efficient and improved clothes-hook will be produced possessing certain material features of advantage.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction, formation, and arrangement of parts, as more fully and particularly described, and pointed out hereinafter. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a form of hook within the spirit and scope of my invention. dotted lines showing the catch or spring-arm swung or sprung away from the rigid hookbill. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the hook shown in the preceding views. 7 Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a different form of hook embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of still adilferent form of hook.

In the construction shown in the several figures of the accompanying drawings merely as an example from among other forms and arrangements within the spirit and scope of my invention the hook is formed from a sinbetween the ends thereof.

Fig.2 is a side elevation-thereof,

gle length of strong or heavy spring-wire properly bent and doubled. The wire length is doubled updn itself to form the long or main hook-bill or horizontal outwardly-extending frame or body at, having the upturned doubled outer holding or retaining end I). The upper or top ply of the wire forming the hook-bill a is preferably extended or projected and pointed and screw-threaded to form the fastening or attaching screw or point 0, which can be driven or screwed into the wall, partition, or other supporting-body to which the hook is to be fastened and from which it projects outwardly and horizontally. The under ply of the wire length forming the bill a extends longitudinally along and against the top ply and near its inner end is curved downwardly and inwardly to brace the said bill and is then curved outwardly again to form the open loop or double d, having its outer end or length 6 extended upwardly and outwardly below and against an intermediate portion in the length of the bottom ply of the hook-bill. The outer free end 6 of the open loop (Z springs upwardly with a yielding pressure against the hook-bill. In other words, the end e forms a spring clasp or catch, pressing against the hook-bill at a point The outerextremity of the wire end 6 is preferably curved or rounded downwardly or bent to form a round eyef, so that cloth or other material can he slipped between the hook-bill and said end, and thereby move or spring said end'away from the hook-bill against the spring tension of said end. To enable the said spring clasp or catch to more firmly grip and hold the material against the hook-bill, said cooperating elements forming the jaws of the clasp or catch can be formed with engaging gripping portions. For instance, I show an intermediate portion of the under ply of the hook-bill formed with a curved downward offset, bend, or deflection g, and the free upwardly-springing wire end 6 is formed with a corresponding downward bend or deflection h, forming a depression, receiving the projection formed by the deflection g.

i is a metal base or wall plate to which the wire hook is secured and bywhich it is braced and strengthened. This plate has a perforation through which the extended fastening end is passed, so that the screw 0 projects beyond the plate to enter the wall, with the plate resting against the wall. The inner large end of the loop 01 abuts against the plate a distance below the top ply of the wire and is secured or clipped thereto in any suitable manner, as by bending the lips or ears jj of the plate over or around the wire. The plate can also be provided with one or more perforations for fastening-nails or the like. The

lower free wire end or spring-catch e also forms a supporting-arm or hook-bill, as light garments or articles can be hung on and supported and clamped by said end without being passed over or caught on the main or rigid upper hook-bill, so that the main hook-bill can receive other or heavy garments.

Garments without suspending or hanging straps often slip and fall off the hooks in ordinary use, even when care is exercised in placing the garments on the hooks. In using my invention this objection is overcome by placing the garment over the rigid hook and then inserting a portion thereof between the spring end e and the main hook. The spring end will tightly grip the garment and hold it from slipping off the hook. I

The spring clasp or catch is rendered exceedingly effective by the engaging gripping portions thereof, which most firmly grip the cloth and hold it against accidentally pulling or slipping between the jaws of the catch, and yet the formation of the parts is such that the garment can be easily inserted in and pulled from the catch when desired.

The device can be manufactured at a low cost and is exceedingly strong and durable.

The wire length or end 01 6 forms a hook on which garments can be suspended and tightly clasped orlocked by the engaging portions by.

In Fig. 4 I show a modified arrangement wherein the main hook or body a has its lower ply extended rearwardly to form the screw or fastening end 0', projecting through the wall-plate 2 The upper ply of wire forming the hook-bill ct is at its rear end curved upwardly and secured to the Wall-plate and then extended forwardly and downwardly to form the loop d, with its curved or rounded free end e springing downwardly against the hookbill a to form the spring clasp or catch.

In Fig. 5 I show the spring-catch applied to a hook otherwise form ed or bent from a single wire length to form the main bill a, curved up at its end b and at its inner end having screw or fastening c". The under ply of the main bill a is looped around the upper ply and bent downwardly and upwardly to form the lower book 01. A spring-plate Z has its rear end bent upwardly, with the screw 0 extended therethrough. This plate Z from thence extends forwardly across the lower hook d, with its curved free end springing down against the free end 6" of said lower hook to form the spring-clasp.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A clothes-hook formed from a length of spring-wire bent to form the horizontally-disposed rigid hook-bill and the looped spring end extending outwardly along and at its outer portion yieldingly bearing against the hook-bill, the other end of the wire being extended to form the hook fastening or attaching projection, substantially as described.

2. A clothes-hook comprising a wall-plate and a rigid horizontally-extending hook-bill formed by a length of doubled spring-wire,

an end portion of the wire being looped and extended outwardly with its free end extending inwardly and yieldingly pressing against the hook-bill, the looped portion being secured to the wall-plate, substantially as described.

3. A clothes-hook comprising a hook-bill and a wall-plate, the hook-bill curved upwardly and having a curved portion and formed bya wire length having one end pointed and extended through the wall-plate, and a horizon tally-disposed spring extending outwardly from the wall-plate and having a curved portion corresponding to and lapping said curved portion of the hook-bill, substantially as described.

4. A clothes-hook comprising a hook-bill extending outwardly and horizontally and formed by doubled length of wire having one end looped vertically with its free end extended inwardly and outwardly into engagement with the hook-bill to form a springclamp, substantially as described.

5. A clothes-hook having two outwardlyprojecting curved hook-bills formed of one piece of spring metal and arranged one above the other, one bill being longer than the other, the free end of the short bill springing vertically against the long bill .to form a springclamp, substantially as described.

6. A clothes-hook com prising an outwardlyextending hook-bill and a yielding member extending outwardly with its outer end yieldingly engaging said hook-bill at a point intermediate the length thereof, the engaging portions of the hook-bill and said member formed with a corresponding curved projection and depression, substantially as described.

7. A clothes -hook comprising the main hook-bill, and the short hook-bill yieldingly springing toward and at its free end engaging an intermediate portion in the length, of the main bill, the engaging portion of said bill formed with a projection and a corresponding depression receiving the projection, substantially as described.

8. The clothes-hook composed of a wallplate, and a spring-wire doubled to form the outwardly-extendin g rigid hook-bill, one end of the wire projected through the wall-plate to form the attaching-point of projection, the other end of the wire looped vertically and secured to the wail-plate with its free end projected outwardly and inwardly and at its outer extremity springing into engagement with said bill to form a spring-clamp, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MOULTON MERRILL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HALLOWELL, WM. T. BROOKS. 

